Ranavalona I, Queen of Madagascar: History, Reign & Facts
Queen Ranavalona I ruled the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. This was during an era when much of Africa had fallen under European rule as a result of...
Queen Ranavalona I was a notable and, by many accounts, a notoriously ruthless monarch of the Kingdom of Madagascar. She ruled from 1828 to 1861.
Here’s a summary of her reign and major accomplishments:
Princess Ramavo was born in 1778 near Antananarivo and was the daughter of Prince Andriantsalamanjaka and Princess Rabodonandriantompo.
As a young girl, her father exposed an assassination plot against King Andrianampoinimerina. In gratitude, the king arranged for Ramavo to marry his son, Prince Radama, ensuring their offspring would be next in the line of succession.
However, despite her high rank, Ramavo was not Radama’s favored wife and they had no children. When Radama became king in 1810, he executed several of Ramavo’s relatives, possibly straining their relationship. Feeling neglected in her marriage, Ramavo formed a close friendship with David Griffiths, a missionary, bonding over social visits and rum.
When King Radama died in 1828 without heirs, the expected successor was Rakotobe, the son of Radama’s eldest sister and a well-educated individual.
However, due to fears of reprisals for their involvement in court politics, Rakotobe’s supporters delayed announcing Radama’s death. Seizing this opportunity, a group of influential officers rallied behind Radama’s wife, Ramavo, garnering support from key figures and the army.
On 11 August 1828, Ramavo proclaimed herself queen as Ranavalona and subsequently eliminated her political rivals, including Rakotobe and his family.
She was crowned on 12 June 1829. Ranavalona’s ascent was notable as she became the first female ruler of the Kingdom of Imerina since 1540 in a culture that predominantly favored male rulers.
Traditionally, women were associated with household roles and were not seen as fit for leadership. Although female rulers were common among the Vazimba, the original inhabitants of Madagascar, this tradition had ended centuries earlier in the central highlands.
Ranavalona is perhaps most infamously known for her intense persecution of Christians, a faith which had begun to spread on the island largely due to British missionaries. She viewed Christianity as a threat to her realm and to the traditional religion of the Malagasy people.
While she was skeptical of European influence, she was not entirely opposed to European technologies or goods. She sought to modernize her kingdom’s military and infrastructure while avoiding European political influence.
She instituted large-scale projects using forced labor, known as “fanompoana”. These projects ranged from rice cultivation to construction to road building.
Due to her mistrust of European powers, Ranavalona pursued isolationist policies, limiting European trade and influence in the kingdom.
She managed to keep European colonization at bay during her reign, which was a significant accomplishment given the period’s “Scramble for Africa” where European powers raced to stake their claims on the continent. Her methods, however, were brutal and included the massacre or expulsion of Europeans.
Despite her suspicion of European powers, she did not cut off trade completely and engaged in trade relations, particularly with the United States and Great Britain, albeit at a reduced rate.
Ranavalona I remains a divisive figure in Malagasy history. While some view her as a nationalistic leader who resisted European colonization and influence, others see her as a tyrant due to her brutal policies, especially her persecution of Christians and extensive use of forced labor.
She died in 1861 and was succeeded by her son, Radama II, who reversed many of her policies and opened Madagascar to European influence.
Queen Ranavalona I ruled the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861. This was during an era when much of Africa had fallen under European rule as a result of...